UK unemployment increases for first time in two years

The Office for National Statistics has revealed that the rate of unemployment rose from 4.3 per cent to 4.4 per cent for the three months to the end of December.

The number of unemployed people rose by 46,000 to 1.47 million for the final quarter of the year, compared to the previous three months.

However, despite the increase in the unemployment rate, the total number of those in work increased by 88,000, whilst wages rose by an average of 2.5 per cent, although the increase remained below inflation.